We fans are obsessed with numbers. It’s a common perception that the more the number of centuries a batter has scored, the more successful he is. Similarly, a bowler’s success is determined by his five-wicket haul.

But frankly speaking, cricket is much more than that. Sometimes, a half-century is more valuable than a three-digit score and this fact was once again established on the opening day of the Cape Town Test after watching Virat Kohli's special knock of 79 runs off 201 deliveries.

FIFTY!

A well made half-century for Captain @imVkohli

This is his 28th in Test cricket.

Live - https://t.co/rr2tvBaCml #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/5NuhjXWndF

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2022

The Indian fans realised how the stats, at times, can be deceiving and the quality of a knock should be valued more than the amount of runs scored.

Returning from injury, Kohli led from the front and single-handedly rallied India to a competitive first innings total of 223 in the series finale in Cape Town.

It’s been more than two year since Kohli last scored an international hundred but everyone who watched his innings on Tuesday was of the opinion that his half-century was actually better than any hundred.

Innings Break!#TeamIndia all out for 223.

Scorecard - https://t.co/yUd0D0YyB7 #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/e4prGUAmwA

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2022

Barring Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Rishabh Pant, to some extent, other Indian batters faile to put up any fight against South African fast bowlers. Some players got out to terrific deliveries while some threw away their wickets playing reckless shots.

Having dismissed the Indian openers cheaply, the hosts were on the top and it required an Indian batter to keep the ego inside his pocket and get ready for the grind and India's red-ball skipper did just that and bailed Team India out of trouble.

© Reuters

In the records book, it would go down as Kohli’s second slowest Test fifty and the future generation might not be able to comprehend the true value of this knock.

But for many of us who watched this inning unfold, it was way more valuable than a hundred and we would be cherishing it for a long-long time.

Just love watching Kohli bat. Test cricket is lucky to have him #SAvIND

— Isa Guha (@isaguha) January 11, 2022

Sometimes 79 has a lot more quality than a hundred. This was a top-top knock from a top player. Today Kohli hasn’t missed a century by 21 runs but scored valuable and high-quality 79 runs. #SAvInd

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 11, 2022

#ViraatKohli may have missed a ton but those youngsters who watched this knock should have learned a lot more about batting. A classy knock. #INDvSA #SAvIndia #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/dmva4DOutJ

— parthiv patel (@parthiv9) January 11, 2022

This 79 of Virat Kohli is not less than any big Hundred.#ViratKohli #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/G4s744l4RZ

— The Cricket Followers (@cricfollowers_1) January 11, 2022

Misses the hundred again but that is arguably the best (Test) knock Virat Kohli has played since his last hundred. #SAvInd

— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) January 11, 2022

That inning were worth than hundred! The way he batted till the end helped the team Proud To Call him My Captain Virat Kohli #ViratKohli #INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/pmLNUGNnOu

— Anjali ♡ (@imAnjali718) January 11, 2022

A hundred or no hundred, Kohli is still the GOAT!

This 79 was much better than many hundreds! Be proud of yourself. And let the haters bark! #Kohli #SAvsIND pic.twitter.com/wiwjXvYBkh

— Asad (@asadfacts) January 11, 2022

Believe me this 79 is better than Hundred . Virat Kohli . pic.twitter.com/R0OeBWQ3NI

— 🅚🅐🅘🅕 (@muhammadkaif158) January 12, 2022

We all cricket fanatics should consider ourselves lucky that we live in an era where we get to see a generational talent like Kohli play.

Kohli might have missed his 71st international hundred but given how he batted in the first innings, it’s only a matter of time that he ended his two-year long drought.

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